Australian Broker TV

Australian Broker TV brings you closer to the industry's
most influential leaders and thinkers. Click on the videos below to watch the interviews:

"More women are backing themselves these days"

Leah Anderson has come to the industry later in life after 25 years in banking. Australian Broker finds out why she, and more people like her, are being drawn to broking.

Video transcript below:

Reporter: After 25 years with a major bank, Outsource Financial’s newest acquisition, Leah Anderson answered the call and became a broker. So why?

Leah Anderson, Finance Specialist, Outsource Financial
Leah Anderson: Well 20 years ago in the bank I was a lender myself, was a Home Finance Manager and I still really enjoy getting out and seeing the clients and you know helping them achieve their dreams of buying their home. So I look back at that and also looked at other times in my career when I was managing large teams of Home Finance Managers. So you know I was always really sort of keen on that side of banking. Also what’s important to me is the flexibility of the role. Coming from the banking sector working a full time job and as a full time Mum with two primary school age children, unfortunately I didn’t see a lot of my kids and there were long hours and you had to be really be there every day, there was no flexibility in being able to work from home etc. Coming out into the broker world and running my own business, it’s just amazing.

Reporter: More and more women are coming to broking and Anderson believes it’s because women are backing themselves and each other more.

Leah Anderson: I think in general, women are backing themselves a lot more these days and funnily enough just whether it be in broking or running their own businesses, I just find that it’s happening more and more. I was actually encouraged by a local broker who is a female broker in my hometown to actually leave the bank and be a broker. So it’s getting encouragement from you know within broker channel itself, but also I am the President of our local Port Stephens Women in Business networking group and in that group we have got about 40 members, a lot of lady business owners, but 4 in particular female brokers. What is really interesting is how much they support and I am part of that now, so how much we support each other, we get along well, it’s not competition, it’s actually how can we all be successful and be there for each other and those ladies for me being new into the broker world, they have just been amazing.

Reporter: Anderson believes that the broker network is growing as the value proposition of a broker becomes clearer to consumers.

Leah Anderson: Yeah, I just think that the broker network is growing, I think there is more customers wanting more brokers to actually or wanting to select a broker to look after their finances. So whilst the broker channel is expanding and customers are looking for a dedicated person that’s able to give them advice and to be able to really you know select the right product, the right lender, etc. for them, I think that’s a great opportunity. My challenge as a fairly new broker is actually learning all of the lenders different products and services and the way they do business to be able to select the right lender for my customer. So that’s quite challenging and keeping on top of that I am sure even for a long term broker is a challenge in itself.

Reporter: Finally Anderson has some advice for anyone considering a similar move.

Leah Anderson: Perhaps not hold on so long, but also actually if you are in the banking sector, make the most of the skills that you learn, because when you do come out and be a broker and set up your own business, I think they are just invaluable.